


A Lesson Cursed to Learn

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You: Part 2 [22]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Depictions of grief, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Humor, Marriage, Oral Sex, Romance, problem solving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:00:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29985324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETEThe Doctor and Rose take a trip the National Archives to see what they can discover about this mysterious timeline they are solving, but they have to run for their lives when a creature that hides in the books comes to life.“What’s his name?”“Alonso,” Julia said, and for a moment the Doctor forgot this was a woman in fear, and he just smiled.“Rose!” he said excitedly, and she bit her lip and gave him a look, shaking her head. “No, but -”“I know,” she said, trying very hard not to be insensitive and kiss the adorable smile on her husband’s face, which faltered when he saw the panic in Julia’s eyes.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You: Part 2 [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2111892
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	1. Act with Love

He had warned her about hot flashes. 

All that extra Artron Energy she was producing, full of warm vortex particles swimming in her blood, he had told her, would mean she would have moments where she felt like she was on fire. 

She was stripping her clothes off quickly, leaving them on the floor of their bedroom without a second thought as she raced to the galley, where she stood, clad in only a sports bra and knickers, in as much of the refrigerator as she possibly could. 

She groaned, quite loudly, when it didn’t ease the heat that was coursing through her body. She was starting to feel a little lightheaded, but she was desperate and on a mission for relief, and just as he walked into the room to check on her she was running back out of it, heading straight for the pool, and she plunged her entire body into the deep end, screaming in frustration when she still felt hot. 

“DOCTOR!” she shrieked, and he ran in, knowing exactly what was happening and aware that she was experiencing something he would only be able to partially understand. 

He had regenerated ten times, though, so he supposed that could count for something. 

He wasn’t about to bring that up. 

“You are the love of my very long life, you know that?” he asked, trying to be extra sweet, but she just glared at him as she swam around, her mind yelling at the TARDIS to make the water colder, and he tried not to laugh. 

He tried very hard. 

He laughed. 

“Shut up! ‘s not funny!” she shouted, and he raised his hands up in surrender, laughter completely taking over as she just groaned and brought her head under the water, and he took a deep breath, trying to stop himself. 

She broke the surface and swam to the edge, and he looked at her tenderly, still able to feel a bit of the heat in his mind, and he moved to the edge of the pool, brushing his hand against her cheek. 

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured, but she leaned into his touch. 

“You should be, you did this to me,” she muttered, and he opened his mouth in shock, his laughter coming back, but the look on her face instantly eased and she leaned into his hand. “Wait, Wait, wait, wait. You feel nice.” 

“Yeah?,” he asked, his hearts skipping a beat, and she hummed, calming down almost instantly, and he smiled at her. “Get over here, then.” 

He regulated his body temperature as she swam over to the stairs, knowing he’d probably have a small conniption if she tried to hop out of the water by herself, and he walked over to the lounge chairs, settling in so she could rest in between his legs. 

He wrapped his arms around her, the icy feel of his touch like a breath of fresh air, and she moaned in pleasure as his arms and chest and legs eased her fiery soul, and he kissed her forehead, smiling so wide he must have looked like a complete idiot. 

“Better?” he whispered. She just nodded, leaning against him completely, and he felt a surge of love rush through him he couldn’t begin to explain, and she closed her eyes. 

“Thank you,” she said. 

“Anytime,” he replied, and she just started to laugh a little. “What?” 

“Nothing. Just...I’m sorry for anything I might scream at you in labor,” she said. He just kissed her forehead. 

“Oh, I can’t wait,” he said. “Knowing how you Tyler women shout, it should be a very -”

“Oh, shut up,” she said playfully, slapping his arm a little, and he just grinned at her, chuckling before he leaned down and kissed her. 

“I love you so much,” he said, and she snuggled into him, letting herself savor the coolness he was surrounding her with. 

He held her closer, dropping his temperature as low as he safely could, and it wasn’t long before the hot flash began to subside, and she pulled away just as he was starting to shiver. She gave him a look, realizing that she’d never seen him do that before, and he just winked as he warmed back up. They just looked at each other, both smiling, and he leaned in to kiss her. 

Slow, soft, and gentle. 

She moaned against his lips, and he felt the hairs on his arm stand up straight at the way the sound felt on his skin. She noticed, and she inched her way closer, flipping around again so her back was against his chest, and he placed his hands on her shoulders, kissing her neck. 

“How come that worked?” she asked, suppressing a moan. He kissed her neck again, his hands dropping to her waist, and he smiled. 

“Because I have Artron Energy, too,” he mumbled, his tongue darting out to taste her. She bit her lip, already having suspected that answer, and she said his name softly, both allowing that state of _want_ to creep up on them. 

It had been thirteen days since they last made love. 

It had been an emotional, stressful, and confusing two weeks. Between trying to dissect all the notes Patrick gave them and process their own feelings about what happened, not to mention the constant phone calls they were getting from Martha and Mickey and Donna and Jack and the rest of Torchwood, making love was not something they had much time for. 

And in that moment, thinking about the Artron Energy inside of her and remembering that they had forever, he craved her. 

Nothing else mattered. 

He began to slide his hands under the top of her knickers, peeling them off, and she made a small sound, leaning back so it would be easier for him to remove them entirely. 

His trousers were disposed of as they both found their place on the chair again. Her stomach was rounder than it had been, and he couldn’t see past it, a fact that made her all the more gorgeous in this moment as he traced circles on her hips, nipping a little at her skin. She groaned, feeling the proof of how much she aroused him pressing against her back, and she reached for his hand, placing it exactly where she needed it. 

He made a small noise when he felt how much she wanted him, slick and warm between his fingers. He dove in, aware that their traditional love making was starting to get a little awkward for her, but this once forbidden territory he had memorized like the back of his hand, and he knew _exactly_ what to do. 

He wanted her to scream. 

“Rose…” he said in her ear, and she whimpered a little as he rocked his hips against her, shifting slightly on the seat so he could brush himself against her heat, which, if he didn’t know better, he would say was even warmer than all that Artron Energy had been. 

She couldn’t even try to make a witty comeback to that thought, not when he was touching her the way he was, and he used his free hand to grip her breasts, kneading carefully, and she felt the coil of pleasure inside of her tightening and tightening, desperate to break. 

“Yes, yeah, please,” she cried, and he continued what he was doing. He wasn’t after his own release in any way as he slipped his fingers out of her and up to where he knew would make her squirm, and just as he expected, as he rubbed against her in small circles, she cried his name, the sound echoing against the walls of this rather large room. 

“That’s it,” he said in her ear. “Oh, Rose…” 

She could feel him still rocking against her, and she decided to be a little daring, turning to catch him in her mouth before she had a chance to fully recover, and he realized he had been wrong. 

_This_ was warmer than Artron Energy. Completely. 

He couldn’t process how good she felt, she just showed him with each bob, brush, and rub of her perfect lips and gorgeous tongue that she knew his anatomy as well as he knew hers, and he was at her mercy. 

He cursed and gripped the arm of the chair, and she gave him a sly and sexy smile as she adjusted what she was doing slightly, locking her eyes with his. 

He cursed again. 

“Don’t...Rose...Ah…” he said, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the chair tighter, and while she didn’t stop what she was doing, she couldn’t help tease him a little. 

_Careful, don’t want to break this chair, too._

_Worth it._

He felt the tension build until it shattered, and Rose smiled, able to feel and taste how good it felt, and she pulled away with a pop, grabbing a towel the TARDIS had placed next to her and wiped her mouth. He looked at her, his own mouth open as he tried to catch his breath, and he ran his hand through his hair. 

“I missed you,” Rose said with a smile, and he just smiled back, shaking his head in amazement at her. 

“I missed you, too,” he told her, and she handed him the towel so he could take care of himself a little, and she sat down on the other lounge chair, looking out into the water of the pool. 

For a moment, she let herself think about how hard the last two weeks had been. They had spent most of it at the villa, both processing, and they had brought all of their notes and the cork board into the living room there, where they had spent an inordinate amount of time pouring through it all, trying to make sure whatever their next move is makes sense and won’t pull a pebble from the water. 

It had been rough, but they were both feeling better. 

She had seen the ripples, and she let them settle. 

Her anger and worry had manifested into love and determination. Part of her, even now, feels stupid for letting it all get to her in the way it did, because she knew they were both much too clever, but she also was trying hard not to hold it against herself. 

This was her child, after all. 

She had come to the conclusion that Bad Wolf acts with love, and that is what she was leading with. Because she knew from experience that love is the most powerful force in the entire universe. 

She had told Poppy it was a superpower that day on New Earth, and she figured she should take her own advice. 

She looked over at the Doctor, who had seemed to recover and was staring at her, and she smiled. 

“What?” she asked. 

“You’re beautiful,” he said softly, and she swallowed, looking down at her stomach. 

“Stretch marks and all?” she asked with a smirk. 

“Especially,” he whispered, and she took a deep breath, leaning back in the chair she was sitting on. 

On his part, the last two weeks had been...well…

She was the only thing that kept him grounded. He watched her shift in perspective with a sense of awe, and he was trying to stay focused and let love guide him, too. He was determined to be better, because anger, he knew, was a sickness he couldn’t afford to catch. 

He didn’t have time. Not when he’d have a baby girl in his arms in just three months. 

He sighed as he thought about that. Time was a funny thing. There was never enough and yet always an ample amount. Especially in the Vortex. Time was a concept more than anything amidst the swirls of stardust and energy that surrounded them, or at least he thought it was. Nowadays he wasn’t so sure, as there was one very real reminder that time was indeed passing as quickly as ever, sitting before him. 

They called her Alice. 

She was growing so quickly it was rocking their world, and during his last exam that morning he noticed small hairs starting to grow on her head. He had been delighted and made some comment about how he hopes she takes after him in that department, which made Rose roll her eyes and call him a git. 

He smiled, and she just rolled her eyes again, their minds still open enough for her to have heard all of those thoughts. 

“Is that the ‘little bit of you’ that you keep talking about?” she teased, and he bit his cheek. 

“Ooh, I like that,” he said. “Molto Bene.” 

She laughed a little and rolled onto her side, looking at him carefully. He rolled over onto his, and they stared at each other from a few feet away, and she just bit her lip. 

“We have to make a plan,” she said. 

“I know,” he said. “Just let me look at you for a bit.” 

She leaned against her hands as their eyes danced, hazel galaxies swimming in chocolate, when suddenly Alice kicked and Rose winced. 

They were starting to get stronger. She’ll take it. 

The Doctor sat up immediately, grabbing his sonic screwdriver from his pocket of the pants still on the floor. 

“’I’m fine,” she said. “She’s just saying hi.” 

“Yeah?” he asked, and she nodded, wincing again before she smiled as another kick quickly followed the first. “Can I?”

“Of course,” she said, pulling him down to sit next to her so he could feel, too. 

She kicked once more, and he locked eyes with his wife, both smiling. 

“Oh, she’s a little fighter,” he said. “That’s good.” 

“I mean, what else would she be?” Rose joked, her tongue doing its thing, and he kissed her. 

“Think she’s sending us a sign?” he asked, half kidding. She just looked at him. 

“What do you mean?” she asked. He shrugged. 

“Telling us to get a move on. Solve this problem,” he muttered. 

“Like a...kick in the right direction?” Rose asked, amused, and he rolled his eyes, realizing how stupid he sounded. She laughed and cupped her hand to his cheek, brushing her thumb over his freckles. “Wouldn’t be the first time she’s howled in the womb, would it?” 

He clenched his jaw, looking down at her stomach, and he sighed. “What do you want to do?” 

“I don’t know,” she admitted, lowering her hand. “We’ve been talking in circles about this for days.” 

He perked up, a light in his eyes that wasn’t there before, and he kissed her. “Rose Tyler!!!” 

“What?” she asked, his blocks immediately going up. He was thinking very hard all of a sudden, and he threw his pants back on. She looked around to see if the TARDIS might have moved her clothes for her, spotting a robe on the back on the chair that she quickly wrapped around herself, and he grabbed her hand, running with her to the board they had been staring at for two straight weeks. 

He immediately took it all down. 

“What are you doing?” she asked, intrigued. He began to rearrange the circles Patrick had mapped out that Angela gave them, the ones with the faces of the known members of the Oath of Secrets (at least as they were in 1989), and he took a step back. 

“She set it up wrong. These circles make the shape of Caspian’s Song,” the Doctor said, and Rose moved to the board, running her hand on the images. 

“Okay, that was impressive,” she said. 

“I keep telling you I am,” he flirted, winking at her, and she just bit her lip. 

The largest circle, whoever ‘The Darkness’ was, sat where the planet would have. 

For a moment, the wolves in the den came to mind. 

_The Darkness takes what the Light can’t have._

They both deducted. 

“Rhodes,” Rose whispered, “The ring.”

He looked at her, and she was immediately grabbing his notebook, flipping through the pages until she found the sketch of this same constellation. Carefully traced, practically engraved. 

“It’s the symbol for the Oath,” Rose said. “He was part of it. This thing dates back to at least 1901.” 

“Think we sort of figured that, no?” he asked, and Rose nodded, flipping the page. 

“Yeah, but now we know…” she murmured, looking between the board and the notebook. “Okay, ignore all of these faces for a second. Imagine all we have is Rhodes...Who else would be here?”

He just looked at her, and he clenched his jaw, “Prince Edward.” 

“Probably, right?” Rose asked. “If he actually was the one who hired him, then they both had to be a part of this thing.” 

He sighed, taking the notebook from her as he leaned against the desk. “It would make sense.” 

“It would, wouldn’t it?” she asked. “And if Mr. Townes wasn’t the one to craft the diamonds...If they were a gift, like Angela said, then -” 

“Then maybe they came from this Oath of Secrets group -” 

“And maybe Rhodes or Edward was behind it,” Rose finished, both not even noticing how they finished each other’s thoughts at this point. The Doctor smiled. 

“Well done, Lewis,” he said. 

“Well, don’t say that yet,” she said, nudging him. “We need to make sure.” He made a face, and she just smiled at him. “What?” 

“I’m just...so tired of 19th century suits,” he said, and she gave him a teasing grin. 

“You can wear my very heavy dress instead,” she offered, and he smirked at her. 

“What, and let you be naked? What would the Queen think?” he said. 

“Oh, she would be so not amused,” Rose murmured, and he hummed happily, catching her in a kiss. 

They were feeling like themselves, and it was a very welcome feeling. 

“We know they were together when she died,” he said. “Do we...go back?” 

She bit her lip, thinking alongside him, and she sighed. “Townes won’t let us in.” 

“No, probably not,” he said. “Except…” 

“What?” she asked. 

“Well, the royal family is there,” he murmured. “He wouldn’t want to make a scene. One could argue it might be the only time he _does_ let us back in.” 

She nibbled on her lip, and she sighed. “I’m so much more pregnant than I was. He’ll find it weird, won’t he?”

“You’re pregnant?” the Doctor asked, and she hit his arm as he just laughed. “The other option is to go in 1881, try to see how Townes got them in the first place.” 

“We could do that,” she said. “If we wear different disguises, use different accents...It could work.” 

“Yes, it could,” the Doctor murmured, and they just looked at each other. “Let me go take a closer look at the diamond. See if I can pinpoint an exact date.” 

“Okay,” she said, and he kissed her before he walked off to the lab, where he immediately got to work. 

Rose showered and changed clothes, and she was making herself some food when she saw her phone ring again. 

It was Martha. 

She talked to her for a bit, assuring her they were fine and would see her soon, before she also called Donna, and then Jack, and ended her round of check-ins with her mother, who she hadn’t told about this entire mystery, and they just chatted about Tony and the pregnancy, and after an hour she hung up. 

She made another snack. 

She walked into the lab and he was tapping his foot against the floor, his hands in his hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his head, and he just sighed. “All I can get from the strand of the vortex particle in here is the year. 1881. No date.” 

Her tongue traced her lips and she picked the diamond up, holding his hand as she stared at it.

“We don’t have enough to go on, Rose,” he muttered. 

“Yeah, but we’re onto something,” she said. “That’s good enough for me.”

He took a deep breath and looked at her, holding her hand. “Yeah?” 

“Yes,” she said. “We’ll keep searching.” 

The Doctor suddenly got an idea. 

“The National Archives,” the Doctor murmured. “We can go. See what we can find on Rhodes. We don’t even know his first name…” 

“That’s a great idea,” Rose said. “Now?”

“Did you eat something?” he asked, and she just smiled at him. 

“Husband or doctor?” she teased, and he clicked his jaw. 

“Doctor,” he said. She hummed. 

“I had one of my husband’s bananas,” she began, and he shook his head at her as he smirked. “And salad.” 

“Salad?” he asked, seeing right through her. She nodded. 

“Mhm,” she said. He just looked at her, flirting. 

“What was on this salad?” he asked. She bit her lip. 

“Lettuce,” she said, and he started laughing at her. “No, I swear. Lettuce, turkey, a honey mustard dressing, some...large croutons.” 

“Turkey sandwich?” he asked, and she just laughed, breaking her façade, and he kissed her. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said. “You ready?” 

“Yes,” he said. “Allons-y, Rose Tyler.”


	2. Power of Names

In practically no time at all, they stepped off the ship into London in 2010, figuring they could see Jackie afterwards if they wanted, and walked toward The National Archives. 

The Doctor rambled less than usual. They were home, and Rose had passed this building before at some point or another, but he did give her a tiny lecture about its history as he opened the glass doors, and Rose stopped in her tracks. 

It was massive. 

The building felt like it wrapped around for miles, and the lobby was absolutely beautiful. She’d never been inside before, but people were walking around, eager to find out more about their family’s history or some other tidbit of the Earth, and the Doctor squeezed her hand as he approached the welcome desk. Rose watched him chat kindly with the woman giving out admission passes while she looked around, and after a few minutes he walked back to her with a directory in one hand and two sets of gloves and two small cards in the other, and he winked at her as he passed her one of the cards. 

“A Reader’s Ticket?” she asked, and he smiled happily. 

“Special passes. So we can go into the reading rooms! History awaits, Rose Tyler. Books!” he said with glee, and she felt her heart swell at the eagerness on his face as she took a pair of gloves from him and looked over the cards. 

The name on his said James M. Tyler. 

She felt her smile fall, and he furrowed his brow in concern. “What?” 

“You…” she said, trailing off, and he just gave her a careful look. 

“Is that alright? When I flashed my psychic paper to the woman that’s what appeared...Though, well, I s’pose if you want to get technical you _are_ married to James McKinnon here on Earth, so maybe I should try to change it? I should, shouldn’t I?” 

She didn’t say anything, too stunned to form words, and he just sighed. 

“I just...Well, I...It’s...I like when people know we’re married, silly as that must sound, so I - Forget it. Let me go talk to her -” he said, moving to walk back to the desk, but Rose grabbed his arm and kissed him. 

She pulled away to see him looking a little dazed and she just bit her lip. “I love it.” 

“Yeah?” he asked, pulling her a little closer to him, and she just smiled. 

“Of course. I’m your wife,” she said. 

“You are,” he murmured, and he brushed his hand on her cheek. She just winked.

“Last names? Better with two,” she whispered. 

He smiled widely at her and they looked at each other for a moment, until Rose felt herself being drawn into his spell and she had to pull back, leaving him clicking his jaw and biting his cheek to stop from kissing her much too passionately for a public setting, and she flashed him his favorite smile. 

“Where do we go first?” she asked, grabbing the directory, and there was a giddiness in the air. 

He grinned at her. “Can we do some exploring? I know we’re here for Rhodes, but they might have some records on lost pieces of the world or all sorts of sneaky facts about King Henry XIII or...ooh! Wait! What if they have fossils?! Fossils, Rose! They probably won’t, but I point and laugh at archeologists, don’t you? They think they know so much, but they really -” 

“Oh, come on, you goof,” she said with a smile, and he just looked at her. 

“Is that a yes?” he asked, and she just laughed. 

“You’re whipped, you know that?” she teased, and he just rolled his eyes. “You’re 907 years old, if you want to go look at old books, just do it.” 

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she raised one back. 

Flirting. They’d always been very good at it. 

“I’m holding you to that one day, Rose Tyler, just you wait,” he purred, and she smiled, kissing him briefly as he looked down at the directory. “THEY HAVE THE DOMESDAY BOOK!” 

“Shhhh,” she said as people turned to look at them, and he smiled at her. 

“Rose, it’s brilliant. It is written in Latin, but not modern Latin, _Medieval_ Latin. William the Conqueror! It’s a report of -'' he began to say, and she just kissed him. 

He was so adorable it was making her breathless. 

“Show me,” she said, and he just made a giddy sound and followed the directory to the proper part of the archives, flirting and rambling and bantering about all sorts of records. He knew it all, stored away in his very big Time Lord brain, and he simply couldn’t resist looking through other files, their gloves on their hands, very carefully handling each article and text. 

He hadn’t stopped talking in one hour and eight minutes. 

The Domesday Book, Rose had to admit, was rather impressive. She had no idea what it was exactly, but the moment the Doctor explained it was the world’s oldest public record she felt a shiver go down her spine. 

The pages, which they were told not to turn, were brittle beneath her fingers. 

He was enamored, and having so much fun. They hadn’t traveled at all for two weeks, and this felt like a new frontier, even if it was just stacks and stacks of paper. 

For the most part. 

They continued to walk around, he continued to ramble and talk excitedly at her, until they realized four hours had passed, and they both felt like they should probably try to see what they could find out about Mr. Rhodes. 

Rose ate a snack before they found the first reading room the Doctor thought they should check, which held artifacts and documents from 1850 - 1910. 

“Well, now I s’pose we do some deducting,” he said. She walked toward the rows and rows of files, her gloved hand brushing against the folders they were all carefully placed in. 

“What’s all in here?” she asked. He sniffed. 

“Everything. Hard copies of hospital records, birth certificates, wills, possibly militia reports. Some of this might also be on the database on some of the computers down the hall, but I like to start with the originals. You can typically -” he began. 

Rose shook her head. Instincts. 

“We’re in the wrong room,” she said. “Come on.” 

He didn’t ask questions as he followed her, though he was curious what her plan was when he saw she was taking them away from the paper records into the room with the digital database he just mentioned. 

He almost made some comment about how the 21st century just doesn’t appreciate books, but he didn’t, aware she was probably on to something. 

She flashed their Reader’s Tickets to the person overseeing everyone and smiled, and he followed her as she took a seat in front of one of the open desks, and she immediately began to type. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, and she pressed the enter key, pulling up vast amounts of records, and she searched for one specific name. 

Robert Rhodes. 

He smiled at her. 

“That room wouldn’t help us, because we still don’t know enough about Mr. Rhodes. We need to work backwards. The only member of his family whose full name we know is Robert, and he was about my age...” she murmured, scanning the screen with her eyes. “Since its 2010. I bet his info is all on the digital database.” 

“You’re brilliant,” he told her, and she smiled before she looked up birth certificates in London from 1980 -1990, narrowing her search.

“I think I found him,” Rose said after a few minutes, pulling up the birth certificate and subsequent pictures for a man named Robert Peter Rhodes. His driver’s license photo matched the man who threatened them, and Rose let the Doctor take over, trying to pull up a family tree of some sort. 

If the internet could do it, so could he. 

They both stayed silent, not wanting to draw attention to themselves at all, but he made a sound of triumph when he found what he was looking for. 

A black and white photo of Mr. Rhodes sat before them, the ring with the constellation prominently displayed on his pinkie. 

“His name was Henry Rhodes,” the Doctor said. “Earned his medical license in 1865, studied at Cambridge.” 

He shared a glance with Rose, who looked back at the computer with him. 

“He was married,” Rose said. “Had two children. It doesn’t list him as Queen Victoria’s doctor, at any point. 

“No, it doesn’t,” the Doctor said. His face melted in realization. “It says he was Edward’s.” 

They stared at each other, and the Doctor felt his hearts beating rapidly against his chest. “From 1881 to 1910,” Rose added. 

“Look at that,” the Doctor said. “Seems like he was involved the entire time, after all. Makes that argument with Townes rather intriguing...” 

They didn’t quite know what to say, and the Doctor took a deep breath, trying to see what other information he could gather that might help. “His medical practice was based in Scotland, it says, near Glasgow. Surprise surprise. We can go?” he asked. 

“We have to go. We need to figure out exactly what happened in the past. It’s the only way we can stop whatever the Oath is doing now,” Rose whispered, and he kissed her head. 

“Come on,” he said, closing out their search and standing up. He grabbed her hand and nodded at the person checking records, and they made their way back out to the halls where the other reading rooms were. 

They heard a scream.


	3. Love Wins

They ran, sonic screwdrivers in hand, toward the sound. It was coming from one of the archive rooms that had hard copies of records, and they pushed past a crowd of people that was gathering around a young couple, a man and a woman, no more than twenty. 

The man had collapsed on the ground. 

“Let me through!” the Doctor shouted. 

“SOMEONE HELP!” the woman wailed. 

“It’s alright, I’m a doctor, it’s okay,” he said quickly. “What happened?” 

The crowd of people looked at each other in concern, and Rose turned to face all of them. 

“Oi, all of you, back up! Give them space, come on,” she said, and everyone took a few steps back. She turned toward the Doctor, who was scanning the man quickly. 

“I need you to tell me what happened,” he repeated calmly, and the woman just shook her head. 

“He was just reading. We were researching and then he just fell,” she said. She was trembling, and Rose moved next to her. 

“I’m Rose,” she said. “What’s your name?” 

“J-Julia,” she stammered, and Rose smiled at her. 

“Julia, nice to meet you,” she said. “Did you call for an ambulance?” 

“No need,” the Doctor said, and for a moment, Rose was terrified he was going to say the man had died. “He’s fine.” 

“What?” Julia asked, letting out a sob. The Doctor looked at Rose, his brow creased, and he sniffed. 

“His vitals are all stable,” he said. “His heartbeat is normal. Brain is active. He appears to be asleep.” 

Julia pulled away from Rose to try and wake up the man, but the Doctor grabbed her arm. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that,” he said. “He’s asleep. Very, very asleep. We - “ 

“Do something! Wake him up!” Julia shouted, and the Doctor shook his head. 

“We can’t,” he said. 

“What?!” Julia shrieked, and the Doctor turned around. 

“All of you, out now,” he said sternly, but not harshly, and the crowd of people began to run out of the room, many asking questions the Doctor was choosing to ignore. He soniced the door locked once they were all gone and he moved back to the man, scanning him again. “What’s his name?” 

“Alonso,” Julia said, and for a moment the Doctor forgot this was a woman in fear, and he just smiled. 

“Rose!” he said excitedly, and she bit her lip and gave him a look, shaking her head. “No, but -” 

“I know,” she said, trying very hard not to be insensitive and kiss the adorable smile on her husband’s face, which faltered when he saw the panic in Julia’s eyes. 

“Sorry,” he said. “You said he was reading something?” 

“Okay, who are you?” she asked. “Let me call an ambulance! If he can’t wake up, he should be at the hospital -” 

“No,” the Doctor said very carefully, kneeling down in front of Julia. “The hospital will just discharge him. I promise you, he seems completely fine. They won’t be able to help.” 

“Then why are you still here?” Julia asked, tears on her cheeks. “I’ll just take him home, let him rest. He’ll wake up on his own, right? Our dad will be worried if we aren’t home soon anyway.” 

“He’s your brother?” Rose asked, and Julia nodded, and the light in the room shifted slightly, and Rose frowned when she saw dark circles under Julia’s eyes. “How old are you?” 

“Nineteen,” Julia said, and the Doctor shared a quick glance with Rose. “We’re twins.” 

“I have a little brother,” Rose said. “We’re twenty years apart, though.” 

Julia didn’t say anything, and the Doctor clenched his jaw, looking back down at Alonso. 

“Something forced his brain to go to sleep. If we force him to wake up and don’t do it properly, his brain will melt,” he muttered. 

_You couldn’t say a different word?_

_What?_

He looked over at Julia, who looked more distraught than ever, and the Doctor quickly backpedaled. “No, no, no. I’m...Not really _melt,_ that’s now what I meant. He’ll be in a coma. One no will be able to fix, do you understand?” 

“How is that better?!” Julia said. “Who are you?! This doesn't make any sense. He was just reading! I-” 

“Julia,” Rose said, and the Doctor took a breath. 

“I promise you, Julia, we will figure this out and wake him up. Alright? Do I seem nervous?” he asked, and Julia stared at him, shaking her head. “Right! It’s because I am the only doctor who can fix this. Okay? Both my wife and I have had something happen to us where something forces us to sleep, and we’ve gotten each other out of it. He’ll be fine. I give you my word.” 

“Do you hear yourself? You’re talking mad! You’re -” she protested, pulling against Rose’s grasp, who moved to sit next to the Doctor. 

“Julia, stop,” she said. “It’s okay.” 

She smiled her infectious smile and Julia’s mouth fell closed. She stared at her, and then looked at the Doctor, who was already scanning the books on the table near where Alonso had fallen. 

Something shifted, Rose could feel it, and she knew her smile was working. 

“You can really help him?” she asked, her voice quivering. 

“Yes,” Rose said. “Just try to trust us, okay?” 

Julia didn’t say anything, and Rose just sighed, grabbing her sonic screwdriver and helping with the scans, and the Doctor watched her for a moment. 

“Which book was he reading?” he asked, and Julia pointed. The Doctor picked it up carefully, his gloves still on his hands, and he moved to the desk, flipping through the pages slowly. 

It was an old book, and the pages had a very specific musty smell about them. They were the color of tea leaves in some places, and the spine holding it together was starting to fray. The Doctor handled it gingerly, turning the pages slowly and deliberately, and Rose watched. 

“Do you know what this is?” he asked Julia, who just shook her head. 

Rose could tell she was lying. 

“It’s a book of rituals,” he said, looking up at Rose. “Ancient ones. Ones that society hasn’t used in eight hundred years, at least.” 

“What kind of rituals?” she murmured. 

“Dark ones,” he said seriously, and he looked over at Julia with a raised brow, deducting. “What were you in the archives for?” 

“Research,” Julia whispered. “What else?” 

“And you were researching this?” he asked, his voice a little accusatory. Julia stiffened at the tone and Rose sighed, looking down at the book. 

“Doctor, what kind of rituals?” she asked again, softly so Julia could barely hear, and he just looked at her. 

“All kinds. Things about possessing other living creatures. Manipulating the elements. Raising the dead,” he said, and Rose watched Julia as he spoke, noticing how she reacted to each thing he listed. She was still, very still, but on the word ‘dead’, Rose noticed the smallest flinch, and she felt her heart break. 

“Julia?” she asked, moving away from the Doctor to sit by her. “Did someone...I’m so sorry, but did someone pass away? Someone you cared for?”

Julia stared at her, and Rose saw her jaw tremble. She gave her a soft smile and pulled her into a hug, and she looked back at the Doctor over Julia’s shoulder as she began to weep openly, her tears soaking Rose’s shirt.

He felt his stomach twist and he moved back to Alonso, the wheels in his head turning quickly. “Did he recite anything from the book?” 

Julia pulled away and sniffed, wiping her tears back. “Yes.” 

The Doctor’s eyes widened, and Rose knew he was piecing something together. He began to flip through the pages again, a little less carefully than he would like, and he ran a hand over his face. 

“What is it?” Rose asked. His Adam’s apple bobbed. 

“A Tulpa,” he said. “It’s a thought-form that can manifest into any shape. It can cross realities if it senses…” 

“What, Doctor?” Rose whispered, and he looked over at Julia. 

“Grief,” he said carefully. “It feasts on grief. Humans have seen it before. You call this particular Tulpa the Babadook.” 

Julia stopped crying entirely when he said this, and Rose could tell the Doctor was thinking about what to do next. She squeezed Julia’s hand and crossed to the book, reading the page the Doctor had flipped open to. 

“Cross realities,” she began. “So it normally lives in the book?” 

“Yeah,” he muttered. “It only comes out if someone is desperate enough to find him. Then he feasts on your grief and pain and agony until you can’t stand it anymore and ultimately let him take you. Then, once fed, he’ll come back to the book. Wait for his next victim.” 

Rose was horrified, but she kept her face neutral, and the Doctor just shook his head. 

“This was...How did you even know this was here?” he asked. 

“The internet,” Julia said and the Doctor groaned. He opened his mouth to criticise, but Rose placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. “It said the Babadook could help us talk to the dead. That it could help us bring them back. It said it lived in a book that was in the National Archives, and we just had to try. We - ” 

“Not everything you read on the internet is true,” the Doctor said, unable not to, and he did not do a good job hiding his disdain. “Who died?” 

Julia bit her lip and began to play with her hair. “Our mother.” 

The Doctor didn’t say anything, but both he and Rose shared a glance, unspoken words lingering in the air. He swallowed and took a deep breath, looking over at Alonso. 

“The Babadook is in his mind,” he said. “He’ll stay asleep for a while longer, but once he wakes up….He won’t be your brother, Julia. He’ll be the manifestation of grief. It’ll be very painful to watch, and over the next few hours he will go through all five stages of grief in a visceral way.” 

“Will it kill him?” Julia asked, the words like nails on a chalkboard. The Doctor just swallowed. 

“It will try,” he said softly. “We’re not going to let it.” 

“How?” Julia asked, and the Doctor didn’t reply. He stood up and began to pace, and Rose watched him carefully, feeling all of his uneasiness in her mind. She ran a hand over her stomach and looked at Julia, who was starting to cry again. 

_Talk to me?_

_I don’t know how to stop this thing, Rose._

His eyes locked with hers, and she began to nibble on her lip. 

_The only way to stop it to feed it pain. And it has to be the amount of grief these two have or more. If it leaves Alonso it will just transfer to Julia._

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, and Rose walked back over to the book. “Maybe there is another ritual we could do? Something to trick it?” 

He looked up at her, his brow creased, and he inhaled slowly. “It’s not human. Those rituals only work on humans.” 

“You know that for sure?” Rose asked, and he opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it. 

Julia stood and crossed to Alonso, grabbing his hand. “I’m so sorry. This is my fault.” 

“Hey, don’t do that to yourself,” Rose said, turning to look at her. Julia just sniffled. 

“It was my idea to come here,” she cried. “I…” 

She broke down, and Rose sighed. The Doctor watched for a moment, and flashes of times he had felt the level of grief that would awaken the Babadook came flooding to his mind, and he knew he had been unfair to snap at her earlier. 

The last time he was truly grieving, he ripped the fabric of the universe apart. 

This, he thought, wasn’t all that different. 

“Rose is right,” the Doctor said. “Grief and pain...We all process it as best we can. All we can do now is help him. Okay?” 

Rose watched as he gave Julia a soft smile, proud of him, but the vein in his neck was throbbing a little and she walked over and ran a hand along his arm. He eased at her touch, and she kissed his shoulder. “You alright?” 

“Course,” he said. “I’m not sure what other rituals we could try to use.” 

“How long until he wakes up?” Rose asked. 

“Not sure. We just have to be ready when he does,” the Doctor whispered, and Rose looked over at Julia, still holding her brother’s hand. 

“Okay,” Rose said, and she walked back to the book, looking through other rituals. 

She ignored the ones that the Doctor had already mentioned about controlling elements or possessing bodies. She read one about curing a sickness, mending a broken heart, and reversing the aging process, all of which she rolled her eyes at, and it was becoming increasingly clear there wasn’t really anything that could help. 

She flipped the page, about to read about something else, when Alonso’s eyes snapped open, and he let out a blood curdling scream. 

“Get back!” the Doctor shouted, pulling Julia to him and Rose. 

Alonso’s neck tilted and his entire body began to try to sit up. The motions were jerky and frantic, and Julia watched in horror as he continued to move, but he ultimately stayed sitting, looking around the room. 

“Alonso?” she asked. 

“Don’t,” the Doctor warned, but her brother’s eyes snapped to her, and when he spoke, his voice was layered in pitch, almost demonic. 

“This can’t be happening,” he said. 

“Why’s he sound like that?” Julia asked, shaking, and the Doctor’s face was focused and tight. Rose was flipping through the book again, trying desperately to see what they might be able to do. 

“It’s not him, Julia,” the Doctor reminded her. “His mind is asleep. This is the grief talking. Pure, vile, painful grief. The Babadook.” 

“He seems…” Julia said, but Alonso screamed again, his body contorting in ways it shouldn’t be able to, and Rose stared at him. 

“It’s not supposed to be this way,” he said, his voice dripping in agony. He moved toward them and the Doctor placed his body in front of both Julia and Rose, watching Alonso carefully. 

“Don’t let him touch you,” he said.

“Why?” Julia somehow managed to say. 

“The five stages, Doctor...Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance…” Rose whispered, he nodded. 

“If he gets to acceptance the Tulpa wins,” he said. “He’ll feast.” 

They watched for a moment, as Alonso’s body once again contorted and he screamed, until he suddenly sat very still. 

“It isn’t supposed to be this way,” he said again. “We were supposed to have all this time. Julia...we were supposed -” 

“I know,” she said, crying, but the Doctor grabbed her arm. 

“Don’t,” he warned again, trying to be cautious.

“He said my name,” she cried, and the Doctor just sighed. 

“It’s using his grief against him. You have to just ignore it,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Ignore it, and we can work on stopping it.” 

“Okay,” she said, looking back at Alonso. He was very still, muttering phrases of denial under his breath. 

Rose flipped through the book some more. 

“Can my energy do anything?” she asked, and the Doctor felt her wheels turn with his, both thinking together like the perfect team he knew they were. 

“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe once the Babadook is out of him, but not while it's inside.” 

She sighed and shook her head. “There’s nothing here, Doctor. None of these rituals will help.” 

“Go to the one about raising the dead,” he said, and Rose did. Julia’s eyes were still glued to her brother, who was still very much in the denial phase, and Rose and the Doctor read the ritual quickly. 

“If you recite these words you let him out?” Rose said, and the Doctor nodded. “What if you recite them backwards?” 

He gave her a look, both aware that wouldn’t do anything, and he grabbed her hand.

“Rose...I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, and she saw defeat in his eyes. 

Alonso screamed again, and Rose and the Doctor snapped their attention to him as he began to pound on the floor. He slowly started to stand, a walking raging angry storm, and he began to break things around him. The Doctor grabbed Rose’s hand and the book. 

“RUN!” he shouted, quickly sonicing the door back open. 

Julia was close behind them as they began to dart down the hallways. People jumped out of the way, and many started screaming when Alonso carried his tirade through the hall, breaking more things as he went. 

He threw pictures, knocked over vases, and screamed...

Security tried to stop him, but Alonso grabbed them with force and tried to throw them over the railing back down toward the lobby, which was several feet below them. Rose shot a beam of light, catching the guards and gently lowering them to the ground, and before she could try to look at Alonso he was shouting in anger again, and the Doctor grabbed her hand. 

“Go!” he said urgently. 

They ran. 

They knew they needed to keep Alonso moving while he was in his fit of rage, away from people and away from the archives if possible, but more security guards began to appear and Alonso kept pushing them off. Rose was certain he broke one of their arms when she heard them cry out, and she let her Instincts take over. She tugged the Doctor to the right and down a small set of stairs until they reached another reading room, and she ran inside, letting Julia run in after. 

She grabbed Alonso by the collar of his shirt, and threw him inside. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Julia screamed, and Rose slammed the door, locking it with her sonic. 

Alonso was still shouting, and the Doctor pulled Rose to him, hugging her. 

The room they were in looked very similar to the one they had left, and the Doctor pulled back to look at her as Alonso threw texts to the ground in anger. “Are you alright?” 

“Yeah, you?” she asked. He nodded and looked at Julia, whose face was so pale you’d think she’d seen a ghost. 

“What about you?” the Doctor asked. She shook her head. 

“I’ve never seen him like this,” she whispered. “He’s….”

“I know,” the Doctor said. They all looked at Alonso for a moment, who was sobbing, screaming, and still trying to hurt whatever he could. They moved away from him, and his face was red in anguish. His body was tense, but after a moment he collapsed to his knees, and he began to curl himself into a fetal position, muttering under his breath. 

The Doctor sighed, realizing Rose had sensed the end of his anger. 

“What’s he doing?” Julia asked. The Doctor’s jaw clenched. 

“He’s about to start bargaining,” he said. “Don’t listen to him, okay?” 

“That’s the third stage,” Julia said. “There’s only two more. You said -” 

“I know what I said,” the Doctor snapped, and he immediately apologized. Rose looked over at Alonso, who looked right back at her. 

“Hello,” she said. 

The Doctor felt a panic rush through him, especially as he watched Rose move to sit by him. 

“Rose, no -” he said, and she ignored him, sitting directly across from Alonso with a hand on her belly. 

“What was her name?” she asked. “Your mother.” 

“I’ll do anything,” he pleaded. His voice still sounded demonic, and Rose nodded. 

“I know you would,” she said. “She’s your mum. Of course you would.” 

In a way she was entirely unprepared for, Jackie’s face flashed in her mind, and all those unresolved feelings about how she still hadn’t told her family about how she and the Doctor found a way to have forever come flooding back. 

As Alonso looked at her, the devastation that she will one day have to watch her, and Pete, and Donna, and Martha, and Mickey, and even little Tony wither and die gripped her heart and refused to let go, and she gasped when breathing grew difficult. 

“Rose, come here,” the Doctor said, seeing everything she just did, pulling her back to him. 

A flash of a potential timeline hit them both, holding hands under a bright orange sky. 

The contrast made her dizzy. 

“What was that?” she asked, and he looked at her carefully. 

“It senses grief, baby. All grief. Past, present, and potential,” he said sadly. “That’s why I kept saying not to listen to him or talk to it. It’s manipulative, Rose.” 

“We have to get it out of him,” she said, and the Doctor just sighed. 

Alonso was still bargaining, on his knees, pleading. It was heartbreaking to watch, and Rose felt her own tears start to spill but she quickly wiped them away, not wanting to alarm Julia. 

The poor girl was breaking down herself, and the Doctor grabbed her hand. 

“You can’t do that,” he said. 

“Why aren’t you doing anything?” Julia asked sharply, and the Doctor clenched his jaw. 

The gut wrenching wail Alonso let out shattered their souls, and they watched as bargaining became depression. 

He once again sat very still. 

“We’re running out of time,” the Doctor said. “Rose, I trust you.”

“What are you doing?” she asked, grabbing his arm as he reached his hands out to Alonso’s temple. He was desperate. 

“I can dive into his mind, find the Babadook myself,” he said. 

“And then what?” Rose asked. “You said it will only go between Julia or Alonso.” 

“I can make it so it will come to me,” he whispered. “I can bide us time while you figure out what to do. I know you will, Rose. And if not...try to heal me?” 

She stared at him. There was a look in his eye she recognized. A broken, beaten, battered look, one that used to gaze at her often when he was all ears and a leather jacket.

She had never known what to call it, but it was so obvious she almost felt stupid. 

Grief.

She knew in that moment he was remembering the Time War and the wounds that would never completely heal. He was possibly remembering his mother and Alice, possibly watching her fall into the Void...He was remembering the grief that lived in his shadow and made him the lost soul she needed to find. 

It was a lesson he was cursed to learn. And she refused to let him live through any of it all over again. 

She loved him too damn much. 

And in that moment, she had her answer. 

“No,” she said. “There’s another way.” 

“Rose,” he protested. 

“No,” she said seriously. “I’m not letting you do that.” 

“Someone has to,” he said. “We have no other options.” 

She stared at him, not allowing her mind to process the fact he was once again willingly risking regenerating. She knew it would make her upset, so instead, she cupped his cheek. 

“There’s always another option. Bad Wolf leads with love,” she said. 

He gave her a confused look as she smiled and looked down at Alonso. She sat next to him and reached her hand out to Julia, who took it and sat down beside her. “Take your brother’s hand.” 

“But -” she said, and Rose just smiled. 

“Trust me,” she said. Julia did. “Doctor, come here.” 

He sat between her and Julia, and he held their hands, completing the circle. He was watching her very, very carefully, and Rose’s eyes danced with his for a moment before she looked at Julia, and she smiled her most infectious smile yet. 

“I need you to do something for me,” she said. 

“What?” Julia asked. 

“I want you...to remember your happiest memory with your mother. Let it fill you up. The joy, the love, hold onto it, and just listen to my voice, okay?” she said. 

Julia stared at her, tears already spilling into her cheeks, and Rose felt her throat tighten as she closed her eyes, trying not to think about Jackie, and reached her mind out to Julia’s softly. She didn’t touch her temple, she didn’t want to actually see the memories and invade her privacy, she just wanted to sense the feeling, and let Julia and Alonso do the rest. 

The strongest force in the universe. 

_Julia, can you hear me?_

“Whoa,” Julia said, trying to break her hand away, but Rose squeezed it. 

_Do you have the memory?_

Julia stared at her for a moment, before she nodded, and Rose took a deep breath. 

_Think about it. Let it fill you up. Remember. And tell Alonso about it. He can hear you, I’m making sure he can. Remind him._

Julia’s lip trembled as she did as Rose said, and the Doctor opened his eyes to stare at his wife, who had her own eyes closed as she helped Julia lead with love. The memory began to grow more powerful, and a small, warm sensation began to stir up in everyone’s stomach. 

He fell impossibly more in love with her. 

_Think about more joyful memories. Think about all she taught you. Think of her laugh. Think of her favorite song. Her favorite color. Think of a time she stood by you. Think of your mum._

Julia was sobbing, and Rose’s eyes snapped open when Alonso began to scream, and the Doctor’s attention shifted to him as well. 

“It’s working,” the Doctor said in amazement, and Rose closed her eyes. 

_Don’t get distracted, Julia. Keep reminding him. Keep going. Think of your mother and don’t let yourself be sad. She gave you so much. Feel the love._

Julia began to scream too, and the Doctor reached for his sonic screwdriver as Alonso’s scream ripped the air, and the Babadook came pouring out of his mouth, taking the shape of a dark, shadow-like creature. 

The Doctor scanned it quickly and Rose shot a beam of light at it, and the Doctor knew exactly what she was thinking. The Babadook was shrieking, quite hungry, but Rose watched as the Doctor opened the book to the proper page and she used her energy to send it inside, screaming along with it as it tried to grab hold of the grief it could pull from her, but she didn’t let it. 

The Doctor slammed the book shut and immediately scanned the cover with his sonic screwdriver, making it nearly impossible to open again. 

They were all panting. 

Julia broke into sobs as she wrapped her arms around Alonso, and the Doctor and Rose just looked at each other. He couldn’t speak, all he could do was reach his arms out to hug her, holding her as close as he possibly could. 

Her scent filled his lungs, and his throat tightened at the feel of her in his arms. His brain was mush, trying to process, but everything about the last five minutes felt completely impossible. His air caught in his throat when that word came to mind, and he just let out a shaky breath. 

She was trying not to cry, overwhelmed in ways she couldn’t begin to understand, and for a moment, they just held each other. 

Alice kicked, as if wanting to be part of the embrace, and they both lost it for a moment. 

The mother of his child. 

“Rose…” he said in Gallifreyan, and she kissed him. It was a loaded kiss, one that could easily have lasted hours if they allowed it to, but Julia was still sobbing, and she pulled away, both immediately pushing their own feelings aside. 

“Are you both alright?” Rose asked. 

“What the hell happened?” Alonso asked. The Doctor cleared his throat. 

“You woke up the Babadook,” he said. “It attached itself to your mind. My wife…” 

“We stopped it,” Rose said, squeezing the Doctor’s hand as he still tried to find the right words. 

Julia stood and threw her arms around Rose, who smiled a little as she hugged her back. The Doctor watched, and he locked eyes with Alonso, who was staring at all them in complete shock. 

“It was in my mind?” he asked. “But the internet said -” 

“Don’t finish that sentence,” the Doctor said, partially kidding, and Julia let out a small laugh of relief. 

“Thank you,” she said with conviction, looking at both Rose and the Doctor. “Thank you so much.” 

“She loved you, your mother. Didn’t she?” Rose asked, and Julia just let out a strangled sob. Alonso clenched his jaw. 

“Yes,” he said. Rose nodded. 

“Hold onto that,” she said. “A wise man once told me that grief isn’t bad. It’s the cost of love. Love won today. Remember that, too, yeah?” 

Julia just reached for Alonso, who pulled her into a hug. Rose looked at the Doctor, both very aware he was that wise man she had just quoted, and that he had said those words to her the first time they seriously talked about having children. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he placed a hand on Rose’s belly, and they both looked at Alonso and Julia. 

They could all hear security yelling in the hall, and the Doctor groaned.

“What’s going on?” Alonso asked, and the Doctor suddenly smiled. 

“They’re after you,” he said. “The Babadook..well...doesn’t matter. We all have to do one thing.” 

“What?” Alonso asked, and Rose bit her lip as the Doctor soniced the door open and grabbed her hand. 

“Run,” he said. “Allons-y, Alonso!” 

She burst into laughter as he made a happy sound and they raced down the hall, out-running the security guards as quickly as they could. They were all laughing a little, exhausted and relieved and high on adrenaline as they pushed through the glass doors, and they kept running until they were lost in the sea of Londoners all walking around outside, and they just laughed harder. 

“Oh, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to say that,” the Doctor said, wiping his eyes. Rose was giggling as Alonso and Julia’s laughter began to dissipate, and they all looked at each other. “I’d keep going if I were you. They might try to track you down.” 

“Right,” Alonso said. “I still don’t fully understand what happened, but...thank you.” 

“You’re alive, that’s all that matters,” Rose said, and Alonso just let out a breath. 

“Go, before they stop you,” the Doctor said with a smile, and they gave each of them a hug before they waved goodbye, and ran to join the sea of people. 

The Doctor swallowed and looked over at Rose, who was biting her lip. 

“Chips?” he asked. She just smiled. 

“You got any money?” she teased, and he chuckled, sliding his hand into hers. 

“I do now,” he said with a wink. Despite the joke, neither moved from their spot, and he cupped his hands to her cheeks.

He kissed her. 

It was entirely impossible that what she did should have worked. That she knew enough about telepathy to carry the thoughts and feelings of someone with zero experience in it into the mind of someone else with zero experience, and that neither were scared. That she did it without having to see their memories, that she was able to outshine the grief inside of Alonso to the point where the Babadook was forced out. None of it should have been possible. 

She howled today, and it was making him forget how to breathe. 

His tongue slipped into her mouth, softly dancing with hers as her hands laced themselves in the back of his hair. He needed her closer, and he tried to pull her to her more than she already was, unable to process the feeling of her body in his arms fast enough, and she pulled away. 

“We should go to the TARDIS,” she said, her skin flushed, and he just nodded. 

“Yeah,” he hummed, and they found themselves in the console room a few minutes later, stripping their clothing off and making out against the controls. 

The light from the coral spilled onto her body and he groaned, bringing his lips to her breasts and licking, nipping, and sucking slowly, and she just whimpered his name, 

The TARDIS jerked just a little, not enough to throw them to the ground, not wanting to hurt Rose or the baby, but enough so that they were no longer pressing their bodies against her lever, and the Doctor just continued to kiss her, figuring he could show her how incredible he found her much better than he could possibly say it at the moment. 

His impossible human. 

They stayed around the console, finding an angle that allowed them to melt their bodies together in the way they both really wanted to. She cried out as he moved against her, his hands on her hips, guiding her body to rock with him slowly, and it wasn’t long before they both cried each other’s names, and the Doctor pressed his lips to her back. 

“Rose…” he whispered. 

“I love you,” she said, and he just kissed her back again, and then again. 

“I love you so much,” he said. “You were incredible today.” 

“I just wanted you safe,” she whispered. He nodded. 

“I know,” he murmured. “And you were incredible.” 

He slid his body out of hers so she could turn around and look at him, and he just shook his head in awe, still unable to completely form the words. She let out a breath. 

“Can we go see Mum?” she asked. He smiled at her. 

“Of course we can,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. 

She let the kiss linger, but eventually pulled away, and he rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand. “Are you alright?” 

“Yeah,” she said. “Just thinking.” 

“You don’t have to tell her anything, Rose. Not until you're ready,” he said. She just bit her lip. 

“I…” she said, breaking off. Her throat tightened as she spoke her next words, and the Doctor continued to rub her hand. “I’m worried I’m going to blink and she’s going to be gone and I’ll have never told her.” 

“Stop,” he said, cupping her cheeks. “She's not going anywhere for a long time.” 

“You don’t know that,” she said. He furrowed his brow. 

“Rose,” he said. “Besides you, she is the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.” He was teasing, and she just rolled her eyes, which made him smile. “There’s time. I promise.” 

“Is that how it feels, though?” she asked. “Like you blink and…” 

“Sometimes,” he whispered, brushing his hand across her cheek. “But...I don’t think it will this time. We visit every two to three weeks. It only ever felt like that when I wasn’t…” 

“What?” she asked. He sighed. 

“When I wasn’t around,” he said, and she just looked at him. “In the span of the universe, a human lifespan is...minute. We know that. I ran from that. For so long, but, well...Some people do more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It’s not the time that matters, Rose, it’s the person. And our family...It’s not going to feel like a blink. I swear. We have too many adventures still to go on.” 

Her eyes watered, and he gave her a small smile.

“Is this because I said ‘our’ family?” he asked. 

She nodded, and he pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head. “Biggest family in the universe, right?” 

“Oh, yes,” he said, pulling away and smiling at her. “And it’s just getting bigger.” 

His hand brushed across her belly, making them both grin, and he took a step back, holding his hand out to her. 

“Now, I say we shower, pick up a toy for Tony that is not a robot but will drive your mother mad, and go have dinner. Together. What do you say?” he asked. 

It was another moment, where he realized just how domesticated he’d become, and a moment where he realized he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

She smiled. 

“Sounds perfect.” 

And so they did. Jackie was delighted to see them, and the Doctor gave Tony a musical instrument toy that played the most obnoxious songs, and they all ate pizza and laughed. Pete ended work early so he could spend time with them, and there was banter, and love, and joy, and Rose held her mother a little closer than usual as they watched telly, and the Doctor took it all in, his perfectly imperfect family. 

And when they went to sleep that night, the moonlight spilled through the window and landed on Rose’s stomach. 

Alice kicked.

**Author's Note:**

> Love can go such a long way. I know the past year has been so hard for so many reasons and for so many people. Sending lots of love out to the universe today. Writing this got to me, and I hope you all are doing well. 
> 
> Also, I made up my own version of what is and isn't in the National Archives and how to navigate it, so hopefully it isn't too distracting or anything. Thank you for reading!


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